Android Pay is now live in Canada

Another country is officially joining the shortlist of places that support Google’s Android Pay program. After the official announcement during Google I/O 2017, support for Android Pay in Canada is finally rolling out starting today. This confirms earlier rumors that stated Google would unveil Android Pay support on this exact day.

If you are an Android user in Canada, you can now download and install the application from the Play Store. At launch, BMO, CIBC, Banque Nationale, Scotiabank, Desjardins, President’s Choice Financial, ATB Financial, and Canadian Tire Financial Services will work with Android Pay on devices running Android KitKat 4.4 or higher. Google stated support for American Express cards and Tangerine will be coming soon. Similar to Apple Pay, the wireless wallet app uses the tokenized system to create a secure transaction for payments when an Android phone is tapped against an NFC-supported terminal. It’s a fast, reliable, and most importantly secure method of payment.

Android Pay was launched in September 2015 in the United States. Since then, Google rolled out the program to 10 other regions including New Zealand, U.K., Australia, Japan, Poland, and Hong Kong. In the next few months, we should see the program expanding to other areas such as Russia, Spain, Brazil, and Taiwan.

If you live in Canada and have an account with one of the listed banks, you can try Android Pay already by downloading the app from the Play Store link below. Please note that your device needs to be pass SafetyNet checks to make it work. If your device is rooted or has an unlocked bootloader, that means you’ll need to have Magisk and Magisk Hide enabled. Instructions for how to install these two modifications can be found here.